Asked on Jan 03, 2017

How can I repurpose wrapping paper from my gifts?

Hillela G.
by Hillela G.
Over the Holidays, I got the idea in my head to save everyone's pretty wrapping paper. Some of them have such cute designs, I couldn't help myself!icon
I figured that there must be a fun or useful project that I can do with them.
Any ideas?
Thanks!!
  53 answers
  • Halyna McEvoy Halyna McEvoy on Jan 03, 2017

    I also have a hard time throwing out all that beautifully-patterned paper..so - one suggestion - place cookie cutter ( Christmas patterns) on top and trace. You or little ones can cut out. You can adapt( add cardstock backing or thin cardboard) and make sturdier to use as ornaments ( hanging in window on ribbon)?. Second suggestion is to use these leftovers as decoupage papers. Third option - cut square or oval shaped sections, make accordion folds and viola - a fan. Don't forget to check out Pinterest for hundreds of ideas you can change out to suit your needs and supplies. You can always donate to scout groups or kindergarten classes. Hope this helps get you going. Happy New Year !

  • Lori Lori on Jan 03, 2017

    You could also flatten that wrapping paper or lightly iron to flatten, then cover with clear contact paper to make place mats. If your kitchen cupboards have recessed fronts you can cover cut-to-fit-inside-the-recess cardboard covered in the paper to put into those recesses to decorate your cupboard doors next year for the holidays.

  • Rosemary Rosemary on Jan 03, 2017

    Use to make next years' Christmas cards!

    • Hillela G. Hillela G. on Jan 05, 2017

      Thanks! Good idea! Maybe I would make them now and fill them in next year !

  • Ann Ann on Jan 03, 2017

    Run them through a paper shredder to use as frilly stuff on the top in gift bags.

  • If you really love the designs and patterns, make them art! I did that with some cool vintage wallpaper. https://bachelorettepadflip.com/2016/07/10/repurposing-macs-old-wallpaper/

  • Mar5247177 Mar5247177 on Jan 04, 2017

    I make envelops out of them to put money gifts.

  • Bab Bab on Jan 04, 2017

    I wonder if it would work for those baskets that have paper napkins glued or modge podged on. Would be cute for holidays.

  • Mary Gendron Mary Gendron on Jan 04, 2017

    Use it to line drawers.

  • Rickie Rickie on Jan 04, 2017

    Use it to cover the plain mats in your favorite holiday pictures to add another dimension to your holiday decorations.

  • Kathleen Kathleen on Jan 05, 2017

    Cut into 6inch squares using a rotary cutter and ruler to use as origami papers

    • Hillela G. Hillela G. on Jan 05, 2017

      I've never been great at origami, but it might be time to try again!

  • Virginia Virginia on Jan 05, 2017

    Line dresser drawers or linen closet shelves.

  • Lori Lori on Jan 05, 2017

    I know.....and if you use a ribbon and bow those cupboard doors would resemble presents!

  • Jeris Chitwood Jeris Chitwood on Jan 05, 2017

    make a cardboard cone or use an upside down tomato cage, fan-fold the paper & layer your fans up the "tree" to make festive decorative christmas trees

  • Mary Gendron Mary Gendron on Jan 05, 2017

    I did it with my wedding wrapping paper

  • Iberkeley Iberkeley on Jan 05, 2017

    Recycle! I seldom buy new wrapping paper. Use your saved one to wrap smaller presents, since most likely it will be torn in places. Save the trees.

  • Deb Deb on Jan 05, 2017

    You can also glue the paper together to make bigger pieces when wrapping a larger present. Sort of a 'quilted' effect.

  • Barb Mailloux Barb Mailloux on Jan 05, 2017

    Next Christmas, Wrap pictures that are already hanging on walls..add bows and each room will look festive.

  • Marilyn Fowler Marilyn Fowler on Jan 06, 2017

    Wrapping paper is wonderful to line your drawers in your bedroom, or kitchen, or any drawer you want.. The shiny once that are usually a little thicker,I use to cut out oragami boxes. Also makes great backgrounds for picture frames opr bulletin board. The list is endless. Enjoy!

  • Rebecca Bender Rebecca Bender on Jan 06, 2017

    Repurpose jars while you're at it and make holiday decorations. You can use old Christmas cards too. Sorry I can't find the picture I wanted to show you but you can do some like this by decoupaging jars using wrapping paper. I made one with Christmas tree paper and cut out Christmas tree shapes. Looked great! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/323414816976147389/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/323414816974427498/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/323414816974427574/

    Or you can frame pieces and hang a collage of pictures.

  • Cherie Cherie on Jan 06, 2017

    For the past 47 years I've been saving gift wrap for ONE reason....I make envelopes out of it! They are colorful, pretty and get great comments every time!

  • Halyna McEvoy Halyna McEvoy on Jan 06, 2017

    Hi Hillela!

    You are most welcome..... try what works best for you...and your budget.

  • Cathy Cathy on Jan 06, 2017

    I shred all of my old wrapping paper, stuff it in a big trash bag for storage, and pull it out throughout the year to use as "filler" for baskets, gift bags, etc.

  • Loretta Loretta on Jan 06, 2017

    I am sure I saw on this site Christmas wreaths made from wrapping paper, do a search for it. You might even make enough to give as gifts as well! You can make small ones too, don't have to be large ones. It is one of thing I would do.

  • Kathy Bitzan Kathy Bitzan on Jan 06, 2017

    We always saved the paper every year because it is what we did after very carefully taking the tape off. Now no body cares and just rips things up... Aw the good old days when it took more than a minute to open a gift.

    Wow, you got a lot of nice ideas here. The papers are so great these days.. did you see the idea where you can take a nice polka dotted tissue paper and wrap a roll of TP for your bathroom during the holidays. Yep, I saw it here on hometalkers and had mine proudly displayed. I got a few comments on my bathroom décor this year as I was using a candy stop for my night light so the kids didn't have to enter a dark bathroom.

    I know I'm stealing some more ideas and saving paper....I used some pretty paper napkins for the top of a bag and my gd asked me if I was out of tissue paper....


  • B B on Jan 06, 2017

    I used mine to make fire starters.

    An empty toilet paper roll, fill dryer lint and wrap in the recycled paper.

    So very useful for anyone with a fireplace or for campfires.

  • Reehorton Reehorton on Jan 06, 2017

    The wrapping paper was a lot thicker 50 years ago, we always saved the paper and you could iron it, on low heat. Paper from bridal shower or baby showers save and line dresser drawer with the paper. It was always nice to open and see the beautiful paper.

  • Sophia,M.,McConnery Sophia,M.,McConnery on Jan 07, 2017

    I have reused wrapping paper!

  • Mar12004966 Mar12004966 on Jan 07, 2017

    ABuy photoframes with mounts already in them. Make mini patchwork quilt collages from your wrapping paper to fit the mounts. Makes interesting and inexpensive gifts for friends.

  • Eve Eve on Jan 07, 2017

    I like to cut it in strips and make paper beads. I buy elastic and string them into bracelets for the young ones at our family reunions but last year all the grown up women were grabbing them.đŸ˜„ I do quilling too so that's another way to use the pretty paper. Both are Cheap crafts and instructions are all over the Internet and YouTube.

  • Laura Laura on Jan 07, 2017

    I think it would be so much fun and thoughtful to return it to the person that used it originally. Write the name on the back of the paper so you don't forget who gave you that gift this year. Gently iron, roll and save with your Christmas supplies. Then next Christmas when you gift it back to the recipient on their gift, you can watch and see if they recognize the wrapping paper. I'm definitely going to do that next Christmas.

  • Ruth Melander Ruth Melander on Jan 07, 2017

    For many years my mother made Santa bags for gifts. My generation followed and now two generations later family members are still making them.


    Lay out newspaper that would be large enough folded in half to make a bag for whatever you want to put in it. All you need to do is tape it together. Just a few layers is all you need. You can get fancy and line the inside with wrapping paper as well. Fold it and eiher tape or staple along the edges leaving the top opening. Youll also want the one side for the top to be a bit longer so you can make a flap. Tear old paper in various sizes and shapes. Make home made glue and glue these pieces onto the outside of the bag in a hodgepodge. Then take a thin strip of solid colour wrapping ( I like the tin foil type for this) and put it around the edges to finish them off.


    Pierce holes the upper flap and the front edge of the bag so you can run a ribbon through. Fill the bag with your goodies, tie the ribbon in a bow and you have a santa bag. In our family we tended to keep these for years. Hard to through them out.


    If your giving something larger you can put it in a cardboard box and use the same process to cover. These are also cool to keep for storing your Christmas ornaments and such.

  • Elaine Elaine on Jan 07, 2017

    Since storage is a problem for me being now in a condo, I can't "save" a lot of things, however, if there are a few really lovely patterned papers too nice to toss, I cut the formerly folded (and taped) parts off, then re-roll the rest of the paper as tight as possible and insert into empty paper towel tubes to use the following year. There usually are some smaller gifts that readily fit in the reduced-size paper!

  • Marie Panko Marie Panko on Jan 07, 2017

    We used to use it to line cabinet drawers

  • Cut16797380 Cut16797380 on Jan 07, 2017

    You can use it as cushioning for christmas decorations or maybe you could shred it up and use it as a cat toy.

  • Pfo7920323 Pfo7920323 on Jan 08, 2017

    I use complementary pieces and wrap my Christmas storage boxes. Then I know which boxes hold xmas items in my attic, and when Christmas is over, I still have the look of wrapped presents under my tree. When they get tattered, I just rewrap another year.

  • Deanna Nassar Deanna Nassar on Jan 08, 2017

    scrapbooking, book cover for addresses, shelf liner, drawer liner, paper beads, paper flowers, dab of glue to mark special dates on calendar. keep some in purse for scratch pad.

  • Jennifer McCrary Jennifer McCrary on Jan 08, 2017

    I have kept my favorite pieces for covering the bulletin board I use in my kitchen.

  • Nancy landers Nancy landers on Jan 08, 2017

    Decoupage,decoupage,decoupage!

  • Leslie wells Leslie wells on Jan 08, 2017

    You could use it in collage. It would make some beautiful art!

  • Bunny Lewis Bunny Lewis on Jan 08, 2017

    I kept some to use as shelf liner.

  • Eileen Eileen on Jan 08, 2017

    Easy repurpose - put it through your shredder and use instead of tissue paper to stuff next years bags and boxes. You can even sort by colors if you wish!

  • Linda Linda on Jan 08, 2017

    For the pieces that are really worth saving, store flat in a long type bucket that you don't have to fold. Use in the next wrapping go-round for smaller size packages that might not need the entire left-over piece, cutting around any torn spots. Cover metal cans or nested style boxes to make holiday decorations. Decoupage onto tiles for coasters, or cut to fit onto wooden discs and make ornaments out of them (great for kids' craft projects at school!)

  • DesertRose DesertRose on Jan 09, 2017

    In addition to all the other great ideas listed above, (they stole many of mine, ha) We do use ours to make home made cards for birthdays or special holidays to loved ones. They always make a big deal out of it, but anything done neatly with pretty paper for a card is always appreciated.

  • Lavonne Lavonne on Jan 09, 2017

    I use it as drawer liners. Baby shower paper in the baby's drawers, Wedding paper in bedroom drawers, etc.

  • Linda Stenger Linda Stenger on Jan 10, 2017

    Cover cardboard cones to make party hats

  • Kathleen Marzullo Kathleen Marzullo on Jan 25, 2017

    Make your own gift bags.........save paper or cloth bags when you shop. Then cut sections of old wrapping paper and either decoupage or glue over the store logo. (If the wrapping paper is very thin, the logo may show through. You may need to cover it first with a piece of plain paper before glueing the wrap). You can even embellish it with craft paint, glitter glue, sequins, tiny beads or whatever you have on hand. A fun project.

  • Willowsverge Willowsverge on Jan 29, 2017

    I've taken a piece of the gift wrap and used it as background when mounting pictures in frames. The coolest ones are when the paper background is the same as the gift being unwrapped in the picture! Ive done it for all kinds of holidays and baby/wedding showers. Great for gifts to the gift givers too!

  • Doc Doc on Feb 24, 2017

    I've decoupaged furniture with giftwrap for over 20 years. I have a gorgeous dresser in my bedroom right now that I did a few months ago. It's also nice because you can make furniture pieces match, that otherwise wouldn't.

  • My mother used to iron used gift wrap to take the wrinkles out of it....We all made fun of her....RIP, Mom.....

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Aug 23, 2021

    Using Mod Podge cover everything in sight!

  • Olesia Lintvar Olesia Lintvar on Nov 28, 2021

    I use it for wrapping ornaments; trimmed of tags and tape, I've also cut them according to templates to make seasonal greeting cards envelopes for the following year.

  • Libbie B Libbie B on Jan 15, 2022

    You can frame them like art!